Study: Divisional games at AT&T Stadium have been recipes for arrests

Some of the top fan arrest totals at AT&T Stadium came in division games from 2011-2015, according to a Washington Post study. Richard W. Rodriguezrrodriguez@star-telegram.com

Some of the top fan arrest totals at AT&T Stadium came in division games from 2011-2015, according to a Washington Post study. Richard W. Rodriguezrrodriguez@star-telegram.com

ARLINGTON

The top arrest totals at Dallas Cowboys’ games from 2011 to 2015 often came in night games against division opponents — like tonight’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles — according to a Washington Post study released Sunday.

The study compiled arrest data from most NFL stadiums over the five-season period and concluded that arrests at division night games were twice as high as nondivision games played early in the afternoon. Overall, the stadium’s average of 4.23 arrests in 40 total home games was much lower than league-leader San Diego’s at 24.58.

The Cowboys, whose games against NFC East opponents often start at 3:25 p.m. or later, host division foe Philadelphia at AT&T Stadium at 7:30 tonight.

Not every Dallas home game fit the national trend — in 2011, only one arrest was made in three division home games. And in 2014, only six of 25 arrests made at the stadium were against division opponents.

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But the Post story also focused on recent instances of fan violence at NFL games, including a fatal shooting in the parking lot of AT&T Stadium after a game against the New England Patriots last year.

Tailgaters apparently got into a fight after Sunday's Dallas Cowboys-New England Patriots game at AT&T Stadium. This video shows the scene and the suspect being detained.

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This year, a brawl broke out on one of the stadium’s party plazas. No charges were filed, but a video of the fight showed fans throwing punches and kicking each other.

Fan behavior is “not just an issue for one team; it’s an issue for all 32 [NFL] teams,” Amy Trask, a former Oakland Raiders executive who has served on the NFL’s security committee, told The Washington Post. “The teams know this. The league knows this.”

Below are a few Cowboys-related stats from the Washington Post study, which can be viewed in full here.

▪ Last year, according to the study, the most arrests made at AT&T Stadium was 13 during the Cowboys’ season opener against the New York Giants, a game that began at 7:30 p.m. Eight arrests were made during a 7:30 p.m. game against the Eagles.

▪ In 2014, seven arrests were made during nondivision games against New Orleans (7:20 p.m.) and Houston (noon). Three arrests were made against division foes New York (3:25 p.m.) and Washington.

▪ In 2013, night games against the Giants and the Eagles each saw a season-high nine arrests. No arrests were made in a night game against the Redskins.

▪ In 2012, 15 arrests were made in games against the Giants (3:25 p.m.) and the Eagles (7:20 p.m.). Five arrests were made during a 3:25 p.m. game against the Redskins.

▪ Only five arrests were made at AT&T Stadium in 2011. The next year, 58 arrests were made.

Fans attending the Dallas Cowboys football games can count on assistance in many ways from the Arlington Police Department. (Star-Telegram/Paul Moseley)